"Whether it was leading a snowball raid all the way from the gates of Freeport to the stone walls of Qeynos or doing battle with a famous dragon from the game, every time I appeared in the game, I got an amazing response. Sometimes I would simply log on and chat with people. I loved doing it, and players loved being part of it. What's more, I probably spent all of one hour a week to make such a huge impact.The way you treat your players when communicating them is also very important. I've always made sure to be upfront and honest when communicating with players. They are intelligent. They see through the BS. Tell them the truth, and tell it to them as early as you can. I never made false promises I knew I couldn't keep."

Veteran community manager Ryan Schwayder shares his experiences working with SOE.